150 TO THE COLONIA AND BUENOS AIRES.
Las Barracas has its curio, an artesian well which, despite the predictions of the learned Dr. Burmeister, suc- ceeded, the water rising four metres above the soil, which it ought not to have done. Another attempt made in Calle Piedade of the city obligingly failed ; the boring tool had reached the granite gneiss, or whatever the floor rock may be, when the funds gave out.* From Las Barracas, Mr. William Wheelwright, of whom more presently, is laying down rails to Ensenada, the " Bay,^^ heir apparent to Buenos Aires, and distant thirty-eight miles. The present line begins perilously near the washing, splashing river, through
- Section of the Barracas artesian well (June 1, 1862), sunk by MM.
Bordeaux and Lyons : —
Metres.
1. Sand 4 33
2. Clay (very sandy) 8-02
3. Clay (muddy) 1-05
4. Clay (plastic dark blue) 2-90
5. Tosca (with calcareous nodules) 2*30
6. Yellow sand fine and fluid, quartz, pebbles, and fluviatile
shells 28-60
7. Green clay, more or less plastic and calcareous, iron py-
rites, sea shells, nodules of lithographic limestone, part
of glyptodon's shell 20*30
8. Greensand, shells, and quartz 0"80
9. Calcareous shell stratum 0'45
10. Calcareous argile ........ 2*00
11. /Shelly grit 025
12. Green clay (sandy) 2*00
13. J Shelly grit 0-30
14. I White sandy grit 0*70
15. Very compact sandy clay 2*25
16. VCommon grit 1*40
17. Green clay, fine and fluid, shells, and quartz . . . 2*35
Total . . 80 metres. Section of the artesian well in Buenos Aires : —
1. Humus.
2. Argillaceous sand.
3. Compact sand.
4. Plastic clay.
6. "Tosca.
6. Fluid sand.
7. Plastic clay.
8. A mixture of several rocks.
9. Red clay to 180 metres.
